Indifference (HIATUSADOPTION)
by Operator Blake
Summary: NaruSaku, Naru/Saku. At the age of Nine, Naruto's home was invaded by the Government. His parents were killed in front of him, and he was abducted, and trained to become a Navy SEAL, and a SCOD Operative. His current assignment: Infiltrate Konoha High, Take the Uchiha mob and Chinese weapons deal down, and be done and over with. Who'd thought he'd fall for someone along the way?
1. Arrival

**_UPDATED!_**

**_"Been around the world twice, talked to everyone once, I've seen two whales fuck, been to two pygmy picnics, been to three world fairs, I even know a man in Thailand with a wooden cock. Drank everything from Rum to cum. Seen a goat rope, two worms arm wrestle, and watched a monkey try to fuck a football, seen a six pearl petered pino from Diego Garcia and watched the water burn on the Persian Gulf. I've pushed more peter, more sweeter, and more completer than any other peter-pusher around. I'm a hard-bodied, hairy-chested, rootin, tootin, shooting, parachuting, demolition double cap crimping Frogman. There ain't nothing I can't do. No sky too high, no sea too rough, no muff too tough. Learned a lot of lessons in my life. Never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber bullet. Drove a lot of trucks. 2 by's, 4 by's, 6 by's, even those big motherfuckers that bend and go TSSHITT TSSHITT when you step on the brakes. Now lady, if you don't like my face, you can sit on it. Birds do it and fly from it. Bees do it and die from it. Dogs do it and stick to it. Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards. I'm a lover, I'm a fighter, I'm a UDT Navy SEAL Diver. I'll wine, dine, intertwine and then sneak out the back door when the refueling is done. If you're feeling froggy, then you better jump because this Frogman has been there, done that and is going back for more. Cheers, boys."_**

If there was one thing Naruto Uzumaki hated, it was this current operation he was assigned.

"That's right boy. You're going deep cover into Konoha High. Supposedly a mob is working with the Chinese military in illegal military arms. You go in as a student, and investigate. Seem simple enough?" A man in a camo uniform said, as he folded his hands on his desk. His wood-brown hair was quite unruly, sticking up in all directions. It was a wonder he never got an infraction for dress-code violations.

"Seems simple enough. I want my standard stuff loaded and ready to go, though. Throw in some wiring, cameras, and the usual Deep Cover stuff." Naruto replied as he ran his hand through his spiky bond hair.

"At least you aren't working with the Rangers again." The man at the desk said, chuckling. Naruto shuddered. He didn't even want to reminisce on that operation whatsoever

"Alright boy. Make us proud." The man said, as Naruto saluted. The man stood up, and offered a hand. Naruto took it, giving the older man a smirk. The older man retuned the smirk, as if second nature. Naruto let go of the man's hand, spun on his heel, and exited the room.

Naruto often reflected back on his past. From the childhood days he spent with his parents, to the night his parents were shot, and he was abducted. He vividly remembered the fight his father put up. It was hours before his father was unfortunately killed, his mother minutes later.

He reflected on his days in the government's secret training program. Or, as the director called it, "The assurance of the safety of this great nation".

He reflected on the people he's killed. The expression on the faces of his victims. Fear. Anger. Guilt. Loneliness. The things he's done to take people away from their wives, their children.

He reflected about the friends he made. The good he's done his friends. He often wondered if his parents were proud of him.

And he reflected on the only easy day. Yesterday.

He pushed the last of these thoughts aside as he opened the double doors to the airfield. The sun shone brightly on the horizon, illuminating the Iraqi desert. He began his walk to the the awaiting Osprey, silently sending a prayer to God.

This was his life.

Little did he know it would be forever changed.

A few days later

Naruto stood in the courtyard of Konoha High. It was an impressive school, for the most part. But why would the Mob and Chinese risk so much in such a populated area? As far as reports have shown, business is usually conducted in mountain ranges, or shipping ports.

The school was pretty casual. People pretty much wore what they want. Naruto wore a long sleeved nylon shirt. It was plain black on his back and front, but a night camo covered the arms and waist, otherwise know as a TRUSPEC. Simple black camo khakis hung loosely to his legs, while he stuck to a simple pair of Vans on his feet.

His backpack was a bit more dangerous, though. It may look like a simple forest green Swiss Army backpack, but if you pulled a panel on the inside of the main pouch, you'd find two midnight black .44 Magnums. According to his CO, Yamato, his locker was already equipped with a detachable back panel. His personal L96 and his custom M4A1 SOPMOD Carbine were inside. His wiring equipment was already at his new apartment, waiting to be used.

Naruto casually looked around. While it may seem normal from the outside, beneath his black Oakleys, he was memorizing everyone. All the faces, all the areas where wiring could be used.

At this point, everyone was a suspect.

Something had caught his eyes. Pink hair. What a strange color. It was long as well. The girl was up against a locker. A raven haired boy and blonde haired girl kept shoving her back into the metallic closet every time she tried to walk away. It didn't take Naruto half a second for Naruto to realize to who two bullies were in this school.

But how could they bully someone like her? Beautiful green eyes...a complexion like no other. The dark blue skinny jeans...the loose red shirt...the light mascara...a trace of lipstick

And the beanie...the burgundy beanie that hung on the back of her head, accentuating the swaying bangs on her forehead. The color just made her hair pop. It was so contrasting.

Naruto threw his poker face back on, and slowly walked over to the situation that was taking place a few feet away from him. He stood behind the two bullies, removed his sunglasses, and cleared his throat.

"What do you, want, Military Wannabe?" The raven haired boy scoffed. Naruto chuckled. How wrong. How wrong this snot was. He'd learn soon enough like everyone else did, though.

"I want you to apologize to her. Then, I want you to get out of here, and leave her alone." Naruto said in a threatening voice, which took everyone by surprise. The pink haired girl sent Naruto a quick pleading look, to which he replied a wink.

"I asked you a question, faggot." The raven-haired boy snarled, punching Naruto in the chest.

Naruto looked at the fist still connected to his sternum, and up to the boy again. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, and huffed.

"Here we ago again..." Naruto began.

The raven-haired boy made a move to punch Naruto again, but Naruto closed the distance fast. He wrapped his hands behind the boy's head, overlapping them.

A flashback appeared to Naruto.

'Remember the basic submission to aggressive civilians, Naruto. Encase them Muay Thai Clinch. Squeeze your forearms together. Then, quickly move behind them. Get them in a chokehold.'

Naruto let go of the boy, and quickly side-stepped behind the boy, encasing his head in a rear naked chokehold. The raven haired boy squirmed his way out of the chokehold before Naruto could fully encase his arms around the boy's neck.

The raven haired boy clearly saw that this approach wasn't working. So, he improvised.

By grabbing the pink haired girl in a chokehold. The girl's eyes widened in shock, and in fear. She was squirming desperately to get out, but the boy tightened his elbow around her neck. She looked as if she was about to faint at any minute. The girl looked at Naruto, crying, and with a pleading expression.

"Please...help...me..." She whispered. Naruto was infuriated. How dare this kid do this to her!

Naruto growled, slowly reach back into backpack. It seemed the bell had rung a while ago. The hallways were completely void. Naruto saw the girl go slightly limp. Then completely limp. Her legs gave out. The boy was still holding her in the chokehold and her head supporting all her weight.

Naruto immediately reached in his backpack, and pulled the magnums out. They had built in silencers attached, so he could care less if he fired his gun. Screw Yamato. The government didn't follow the rules when they killed his parents, so why should he?

The boys eyes widened. His body began to visibly tremble.

"You will never bother this girl again. Your life depends on it." Naruto said, pointing one of the guns at the blonde girl.

"Got it?" Naruto growled. The message was clearly sent. Naruto clicked the hammer on his revolver. It didn't do anything because the were modified for semi-auto fire, but it still was menacing.

The bullies nodded furiously and sprinted off. The girl roughly fell to the ground, re-focusing Naruto's attention.

Naruto put the guns back in their rightful places, as he gently scooped the girl up. His hand brushed against her arm, and it felt like absolute heaven. She was soft. He could smell the strawberry shampoo, and it devoured him.

Naruto set her down on a bench in what seemed like a small indoor garden of the school. He meticulously checked her head, and neck, and listened to her breathing. He unintentionally put his head right above her heart, and the contact drove him crazy.

He could hear the soft beating of her heart. He closed his eyes, and just sat there. Listening to it. He reluctantly pulled away, and heard the girl groan. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, taking in the change of scenery.

"That guy had you in a chokehold. You passed out from lack of oxygen. You should be ok though, except for a possible bruise on your neck." Naruto quietly said. He pulled a small pen light out of his backpack, and grabbed the girls chin gently.

They both blushed, and Naruto still tried to keep his calm. He felt her shiver under his touch, and it was like a piece of heaven had fallen from the sky.

He shined the light in her eyes. She knew what he was doing, and focused her vision on the obnoxious light.

"Well, no head trauma. That's a good thing. I'm just glad he didn't hurt you anymore. Are you alright, does this happen a lot?" Naruto asked, his voice full of concern for the girl.

"The bullying part, or a knight in shining armor?" The girl laughed, which made Naruto blush a little. Her voice was so soft and sweet, it frankly reminded him of his Mother's.

"I'm Sakura, by the way. Sakura Haruno." Sakura said, still retaining her smile.

"Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto said with a smile.

She patted the seat next to her. Naruto slid his backpack off onto the ground and sat next to her. It was something about this girl that just gave him this tingly feeling. He couldn't quite place it, but it felt warm and welcoming, natural, almost.

"So, did you just transfer here?" Sakura asked. Naruto glanced at her, but it sure turned into a stare. Naruto's blush returned, as he couldn't avert his eyes.

"Y-yeah..." Naruto stuttered out.

"You ok?" Sakura asked, giving Naruto a quick check over.

"Can I say some that may be really awkward?" Nauto blurted out. Sakura gave a weird look in response, reluctantly nodding. Naruto took a deep breath

"You look really pretty today." Naruto quickly said, as Sakura began to blush a hue of her hair color.

"T-t-thanks...you look...u-uh..." Sakura embarrassingly stuttered out, not being to find the word. Naruto raised his brow.

"You look...h-hot..." Sakura shyly said, her bangs covering her eyes. She began to trace little circles on her legs, a clear sign of nervousness and shyness. This made Naruto smile.

"I'm s-sorry...I just needed to put that out there..." Naruto spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"Don't worry about it...it's fine...I mean...thanks...nobody ever really compliments me, so..." Sakura trailed off, as Naruto gave a look a disbelief.

"How could they not! You're gorgeous!" Naruto blurted out, his eyes widening in realization of what he just said. Sakura began to blush a deep scarlet, looking at Naruto in disbelief.

"S-so...what grade are y-you in, Naruto?" Sakura stuttered out.

"10th. You?" Naruto asked. "Same." She replied, trying to calm the extreme amount of blood flow to her cheeks.

"So. You going to that school dance in three days?" Sakura, asked, as it peaked Naruto's interest. If the school is involved with anything about the Mob, the dance would provide an excellent distraction.

"What kind of dance is it?" Naruto asked.

"Some sort of benefit dance. It's a casual thing, so..." Sakura asked, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Some Uchiha and Chinese benefit program are hosting it." Sakura continued, as Naruto froze solid. His mind drew blanks. His body went numb.

"I see. So. You going with any friends?" Naruto slowly spoke, as he tried not to reveal his cover. Close one.

"You're my first friend in years, as ashamed as I am to admit it." Sakura admitted, while leaning back in the bench, sighing.

"What do your parents do about it?" Naruto asked, as Sakura went silent, avoiding all eye contact.

"They...died...in a car crash...I was in the back seat...apparently I was lucky to survive...but sometimes I really wish I wasn't so lucky..." Sakura said on the verge of tears.

Naruto tentatively wrapped an arm around her, and held her close to him. Sakura's stomach was doing backflips, and her heart pounding uncontrollably. Same could be said for Naruto...this was all just so...new...

"I've lost a lot of good people too, Sakura. It's not a pleasant experience, all." Naruto admitted, letting out a sigh.

"How did you cope with it?" Sakura asked, as Naruto went silent.

"I didn't..." Naruto replied, Sakura stared at him in shock.

"What about you? How did you cope with it?" Naruto asked, while Sakura looked away.

"I...don't...want to say...it's...just..." Sakura began, as Naruto began to press her on the issue.

"Talking about it only helps..." Naruto said, as Sakura sighed. Being silent for a good minute, she quietly spoke up.

"I was really angry with myself...I blamed myself...and I took it out on myself...I..." Sakura was unable to finish as she looked away. She was eerily silent, as she sat in a depressive state. Well, comfortable, as Naruto was still holding her.

"Don't worry. I perfectly understand. Just talk about when you're ready. Talking about it only helps." Naruto cooed, as Sakura just nodded.

"You seem to know a lot about this topic. I mean, like, stress and depression and stuff." Sakura noted, as Naruto gave a sheepish grin.

"I had a friend once. He was in a similar situation to you. His uncle killed his parents...he never talked about it. He ended up committing suicide. I don't want to see that happen to you. You have too much to live for. Besides, you're really pretty." Naruto jovially said at the end, which earned him a blush from Sakura.

The two sat in comfortable silence. Naruto was still holding onto Sakura, who comfortably sat in silence with him.

"So...when's your birthday?" Naruto asked, as Sakura gave a quick glance at him. "In three days." She replied. Naruto grew a meticulous smile.

"So, do you live alone?" Naruto asked again. Sakura raised a brow in curiosity. What was he getting at?

Sakura nodded, as Naruto seemed to be in deep thought.

"You don't have any protection, do you? Like a firearm?" Naruto asked, as Sakura sweat-dropped. Weird questions these were.

Sakura shook her head. Sometimes she really wished she had a gun though.

"Alright then, I know what I'm doing for your birthday then." Naruto happily chirped as Sakura still held a questionable look.

"I'll give you one of my guns! And free training, courtesy of me!" Naruto happily said, as Sakura's smile grew wide.

"Anyways...I wonder what classes we have together, Sakura-Chan." Naruto said, making Sakura blush again. That "Chan" didn't go unnoticed. Not one bit. Why was he so nice to her? Was he just going to leave her in the dust in the end?

"Looks like Homeroom, Music, Biology, Free Period and Gym..." Naruto said, as he looked at Sakura's schedule. Four classes together was pretty good.

"Well, homeroom has already started. Ready to go?" Naruto said, standing up. Sakura took his hand, a small shiver of electricity running through her. She stood up, and they walked to homeroom together.

Someone stood up for her, protected her, cared for her, and befriended her.

Maybe high school wouldn't be such a drag this year.

Dammit. Shikamaru was rubbing off on her.

Homeroom

The Music room was pretty simple. It was a large soundproof room, with a small computer lab in the corner of it. There were small rectangular black tables, only giving enough room for two people.

Sakura obviously sat next Naruto.

The teacher seemed bored. His dis-colored red left eye, and his normal black one scanned the room, giving everyone a quick rundown.

Kakashi was indeed a teacher of sorts.

Something did catch his eye, though.

The blond haired Baka who was assigned to his DEVGRU Team two years ago. Kakashi still hated the government for what they did to the kid. Leaving it at the parents didn't give him up without a fight, was all that he wanted to think of.

"Alright class. This is also your music class. The basic rules are don't shed blood, don't touch anything in or on my desk, and just refer to me as Kakashi when in homeroom and class. You can play whatever you want on the computers back there, or grab a pair of headphones and use the keyboards." Kakashi explained, as everyone sighed.

"You guys have already gone over the boring classical this and that, so this year will be a bit different. We will be assigning two person teams. You'll have to do different things. Such as learn to play an instrument, and play a song, and so on."

"At the end of the year, each team will preform one song for the whole school during talent show. Now, if you're already are doing something for that, you can. Any questions?" Kakashi said, as everyone seemed to be beaming.

"Do we get to pick our partners?" Sakura asked and Kakashi nodded.

"You're stuck with whoever you chose for the rest of the year. Pick fast and wise, kiddies." Kakashi said, as a massive clusterfuck broke down in the class.

Naruto gently tugged on Sakura's hand, as he brought her over to the new looking computers. More like expensive.

"Alienware Aurora R4's...These cost like Three Grand!" Sakura said, as Naruto stared in complete dumbfounded awe.

"You know about Gaming Computers?" Naruto asked as Sakura nodded. Naruto let out a dreamy sigh, as Sakura giggled.

"Hey Naruto! Catch!" Kakashi said from the front of the room. Throwing a small box vertically like a frisbee, Naruto caught it.

'Battlefield 4 Premium Edition'

"And this!" Kakashi said, as he threw another box.

'ArmA: II and III Bundle pack. Includes all DLCs.'

Naruto and Sakura grinned at each other, before they began playing their games. Naruto chose Battlefield, as Sakura had the DayZ Breaking Point mod installed for ArmA: III Rather quickly. It seemed she was a seasoned player, as she had an SVD With a Ghille suit. Night Vision too.

Naruto on the other hand was on a 32 Killstreak with his JNG-90 Sniper Rifle.

The bell rang a while after. Naruto looked over to see Sakura asleep. Sitting up. Her hand was still on the mouse, but her eyes were closed, and her head tilted. Naruto just smiled at her sleeping figure.

It seemed no one noticed the bell had rung, as everyone was still going about like it was a free period. Most likely is one.

Naruto looked around the back of the room. There was a small futon couch at the end of the computer row. It was like a small lounge. The couch took up 4 Computer spaces, acting as a 'bench' in place of seats.

Naruto gently scooped Sakura up, as he carried her bridal style to the couch. Setting her down gently, he stared at her sleeping figure. She shivered slightly. Naruto took a moment to realize that is was slightly cold back here. More like freezing, but after jumping into the middle of oceans so many times, the cold never bothered him as much.

Unzipping his TRUSPEC, he gently wrapped it around Sakura. She lightly snuggled into it, as Naruto could only help but chuckle.

"Looks like someone made a friend." A familiar voice said. Naruto turned around to see the white haired man, and the odd colored eye staring at him.

"Hehe. Yeah. Long time no see, Lt." (Pronounced L Tee.) Naruto said, as the two men gave each-other the usual bro hug that they were accustomed to over the years.

"So, how was DEVGRU? Miss me?" Naruto asked, as he took a seat down next to Sakura, on the arm of the couch. Kakashi sat on the windowsill that was behind the row of chairs.

"Currently Disavowed. Our CO Went nuts. XO's missing. The SOCOM CO Can't find a replacement willing to take over ST-6." Kakashi explained, as Naruto gave him a weird look.

(A/N. Disavowed-Like discharged, made unofficial. CO- Commanding Officer. XO- Executive Officer. SOCOM- Special Operations Command. DEVGRU- SEAL Team 6. ST- SEAL Team.)

"SCOD Was told that the CO and XO Retired..." Naruto said, as Kakashi raised his brow in confusion.

(SCOD- Special Classified Operations Detachment- Classified as Tier-1, but considered higher. Takes it ordered directly from the SOCOM CO/XO. Not apart of JSOC. JSOC- Joint Special Operations Command.)

"Something's wrong then. You just don't go around saying something so...different about a Tier I JSOC Team. You don't think there's a worm in the Chain of Command, do you?" Kakashi asked, as Naruto considered the thought.

"I'll ask a person I know. I have a feeling I should avoid contacting the main Personnel. This could well be a full Coup on SOCOM. As such, I'll have to let the SCOD Squadrons know." Naruto explained aloud, as Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"I've even in contact with Dmitri, Naruto. He's got 3 Spetsnaz Task Forces available. Apparently the Russian Special Forces had a recent Coup attempt and-" Kakashi suddenly stopped, as he and Naruto stared wide-eyed at each other.

"Fuck..." The two said at the same time.

"Kakashi, the reason I sent here was because the Mob are working with the Chinese SOCOM on illegal prototype weapons. I was sent to stop it. I have a feeling they're the ones causing this ruckus. I'm not taking chances here." Naruto began, as Kakashi listened intently.

"Assuming this Dance is inside the Auditorium, I'll perch on the restricted balcony. I'm taking out the Mob and Chinese contact as soon as I see them."

Kakashi nodded, as he put his hand to his chin, pondering this course of action.

"I'll get in touch with my SEAL Buddies. I'll try and get them out of Coronado. (Main SEAL Training/HQ Facility.) I'll have Dmitry send the Task Forces, while you get SCOD Aware. Whoever is doing this will go after SCOD First. Then, it's only a matter of time until it's on your doorstep."

"The Black Ops." Kakashi finished, as Naruto drew up an important conclusion.

"Kakashi, if they are that high to be able to pull this shit in SOCOM, They are at least Generals then. Which means, they will take over the VCJS and JCS's...Which means...they can let armies in...Kakashi, we're looking at Fucking Red Dawn and Olympus Has Fallen right now!" Naruto exclaimed, as Kakashi could only help but nod in agreement.

"Naruto, call AFSOC and MARSOC. I'll call ASOC, DEVGRU, Delta, and the others.

Naruto pulled a Tacpad out of his backpack, before dialing a number on it.

"Bee! It's me." Naruto said.

"Listen, we have Code Black. Designation SOCOM CO/XO. Assume that they already have personnel on the VCJS and JCS. Spread the word among the Squads."

"Yeah, good luck to you too." Naruto hung up.

(AFSOC- Air Force Special Operations Command. MARSOC- Marine Special Operations Command. ASOC- Army Special Operations Command. Delta- Tier I. Delta Force. VCJS- Vice Joint Chief of Staff. JCS- Joint Chief Of Staff.)

"Yeah, Gaara, it's me. Code Black-" Naruto was cut off.

"We know. I've already secured all of the AFSOC out here at MacDill. Minus a dead CO or four. We're inbound to the Military Base just outside of Konoha. I'll update once we touchdown." Gaara loudly spoke, as a loud set of engines could be heard. The phone hung up, while Naruto sighed.

"Well, Dmitri has half of Spetsnaz on their way... The Rangers and Green Berets are secured as well. DEVGRU and Delta are already on their way. Apparently, it's worse than they thought. The just had a Chinese Spec Ops squad raid their Air Field. Rangers have three wounded men." Kakashi said, as Naruto sighed.

"It's already happening..." Naruto said, as Kakashi groaned. Chinese. It's ALWAYS the Chinese.

"Hey. Look at it this way. DEVGRU has been Disavowed for 2 years. It's taken them this long just to send a small Squadron to one base. I say we have a good year." Naruto chimed. Kakashi seemed to visibly relax, while he took a breath of relief.

"Let's just hope we're prepared by then..." Kakashi concluded, as he walked away. Naruto sighed. It really can't get much worse, can it?

Naruto glanced over to the still sleeping Sakura. Maybe taking a nap wouldn't be a bad idea right now...

Naruto sat on the floor, as he leaned his back against the side of the futon. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep.

Naruto awoke when he was violently shook awake. Kakashi stared him right in the eyes, as he sighed.

"Naruto. Music's over. Time to go." Kakashi said. He turned around and walked away, as Naruto stood up. Sakura was still sleeping.

Gently shaking her, she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. Noticing an extra weight was on her, she looked down to see Naruto's jacket.

"You looked cold, so I kinda let you use my jacket as a blanket." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

"Thanks. I was just kinda tired." Sakura said, as she handed Naruto his jacket back. Naruto waved her down.

"Nah. Keep it just in case. Don't want ya getting sick now, do we?" Naruto chuckled, as Sakura looked Naruto over.

"You know...you either really care, or this is some sick joke..." Sakura said. Naruto looked at her in confusion. She was obviously still very wary of him.

"What do you mean by sick j-..."

"Oh...You just think I'm going to abandon you, huh? Well I won't...here..." Naruto said, as he untied a string from the back of his neck.

He pulled out a small green crystal necklace, and put it in Sakura's hand. "This was my Dad's. He passed it on to me. So as long as you have it, I'll be your friend." Naruto reassured her, Sakura staring back in complete disbelief for the umpteenth time that day.

This kid really meant it. Naruto's mouth moving brought Sakura's attention back towards Naruto. "Well, anyways, I'll see you in Bio. And let me know if anyone gives you a problem, kay?" Naruto said. Sakura gave a sheepish nod, while Naruto walked away.

Sakura slid his jacket on. It was surprisingly warm for looking so thin. Zipping it up all the way, it seemed to fit her rather well. Smiling to herself, she headed towards her next class.

Naruto wished that Geometry would be over by now. Half the class was busy drooling over him, and it began to annoy him to no ends. If he heard one more giggle from a girl, he was seriously going to shoot someone. Or jump out the window.

Whichever one was quicker.

Or in this case.

Closer to reach.

The bell finally rung after what seemed like an eternity to Naruto. He vaulted over the desk, and made a full on sprint for the door. Squeezing through the crowd at the door was fast work, as he began to run to his next class.

Sakura was waiting at a table in the back of the Biology class. The tables were again two seaters, so she was quite thankful that she wouldn't have to deal with somebody she didn't like. Her head turned towards the door as she saw Naruto walk in, his black shirt clinging closely to his body.

He took as seat next to Sakura, and rested his forehead against the desk. He took an exaggerated sigh, and grunted to himself.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking over Naruto's exasperated figure.

"I've had girls giggling and drooling over me for the last 45 minutes...that's what's wrong..." Naruto dragged out, while he attempted to get his breath in control.

"Most people like girls fawning over them." Sakura said, as Naruto grunted.

"People who let others drool over them have nothing to protect, or live for." Naruto adamantly said, as Sakura gave him a incredulous look.

"I'd rather love someone, and protect them. Raise a family. Have kids. Live for them. Not turn out like some guy who ditches a girl just because they grow old of her." Naruto finished, while Sakura bit her lip.

"Naruto...do you remember the boy you...wrecked earlier? Sasuke Uchiha?" She asked. Naruto nodded, inwardly grimacing at the last name.

"In eighth grade, we dated. It went decent for this first few months. Nothing serious though. He wouldn't even kiss me on the cheek...eventually, he got bored of me. So he dumped me by humiliating me at the eighth grade graduation dance. He gave a speech, made fun of me, insulted me, what I did to myself, and dumped me in front of the whole class." Sakura finished.

Naruto could feel the blood dripping from his over-clenched hands. It quietly dripped to the floor, as his scowl could be anything but hidden.

"So, he threw you under the bus. Instead of saying it wasn't working out, he did that. And he still bothers you to this day...I swear to God if he does it again, I will fucking kill him..." Naruto venomously spat. Sakura became slightly teary. Naruto took note of it, and calmed himself.

"Why...do you...care?" Sakura slowly asked.

"Because I do. I care, Sakura-Chan, because I'm your friend." Naruto grinned, as Sakura mimicked his wide, toothy grin.

End of the day

Naruto and Sakura were back in the music room, sitting on the small couch in the back of the room. Making small talk, Naruto had opted for putting his feet up on the desk.

"Hey, Sakura-Chan, when you were telling me about Sasuke earlier, you mentioned what you did to yourself. Come to think of it, this morning, you explained how you were angry at yourself, and took it out on yourself. What did you mean by that?" Naruto asked. Sakura went quiet and looked away.

"Sakura-Chan, tell me..." Naruto quietly said, shaking her shoulder gently. She just looked away even more. What had happened to the poor girl?

Naruto waited for about a minute before turning Sakura around. He was in shock to find that she had been crying. Her face was red, and tears were gently streaming down her face. Naruto brought her into an embrace while she continued to silently cry.

She shakily held up her arm to Naruto, and buried her face deeper into his chest. Naruto looked closely at her arm, but couldn't see anything wrong with it. Her hand looked fine, her arm looked fine, but something had caught his eyes. Her wrists had faint little scars across them. They were faded away pretty much, but there had to be at least 6 scars very close to each other on her wrist.

"It's ok...I understand...just let it all out..." Naruto cooed, while Sakura poured her heart out into her crying. Her grip was deathly on Naruto. He couldn't move an inch.

"Sakura-Chan...did Sasuke cause any of this?" Naruto asked. Sakura wearily pulled away and nodded.

"That's it. I'm going to fucking kill him." Naruto growled. He attempted to stand up, but Sakura had pulled him back down into another hug. Naruto sighed. He held her close, while her sobs eventually died down. Naruto felt her go limp in his arms, as he gently lay her on the couch. What was he going to do with this girl?

"Is everything alright, Naruto?" Kakashi's voiced sounded from behind him. The pitter patter of footsteps could be heard. Kakashi rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Yeah. Except for the fact that I'm ready to kill that Uchiha kid..." Naruto spoke, rolling his eyes. "The things he did to this girl makes me so angry. It reminds me of Syria..."

Syria was terrible. The simple assignment was to take out a high value target in a compound. Everything was fine until they breached the first door.

It was a prostitution house. And not all of them were alive.

The things those men did to the women was similar to Sakura. They got bored of them. So they threw them under the bus, and then gunned them down.

'But Sakura-Chan is still alive. And I'm going to keep it that way...' Naruto determinedly thought.

Though, in an estimated one year, China would be making their move against the U.S. Unless...

The U.S Struck first.

"Kakashi...what if...what if SOCOM attacked China first?" Naruto asked. Kakashi's eyes grew wide, contemplating what Naruto suggested.

"So, basically, you want to pull a Battlefield 4?" Kakashi chuckled. Naruto nodded. "If the SOCOM remnants can get into China, we can wreck absolute havoc. Airfields, supply depots, government buildings. Then there's the new forerunner for the Chinese presidency. Wei Shen? The one that's for a U.S based system of rights? Imagine the good we can bring them." Naruto rambled. Kakashi could only sympathize with him. It was brilliant.

"Naruto, we'd need more people though. This is almost like the Cold War. Who's going to strike first? Well. They kind of did, but that's not what I mean. If we strike first, you may never see her again. You could die while we're over there, or she could from herself. Or, if they strike us when we strike them." Kakashi explained. Naruto lowered his head.

_'Somehow, in the very short time he's known Sakura, he's grown attached. I don't blame him though...Kushina was just like that at her age. She must bring Naruto a feeling of love and closure. Maybe not love, but the friendship is there.'_

_'He's always been like that though. He saved Gaara from losing his mind. He's saved so many comrades, from physical and emotion pain. His heart isn't built around short lasting friendships and heartlessness. More of compassion, and protection.' Kakashi solemnly thought. It was true that Naruto had these kind of impacts on people._

It just seemed that Sakura got a little more of it. More like all of it, but, she definitely got it.

"Let me get in touch with the President. I'll explain the situation. Hopefully he can pull some strings to get SOCOM into China." Kakashi mused. Naruto could only wonder how he would get in contact with the President, but he was Kakashi. He could do all sorts of amazing shit.

Kakashi walked back up to his desk, and began typing away at his laptop.

"It doesn't look like you're waking up anytime soon... guess you're coming home with me..." Naruto chuckled. He picked Sakura up and rested her against his back, her arms dangling over his shoulders. He ear was pressed up against his back, her breathing steady. It reminded him of-

_It was bright outside. Gunshots echoed throughout the town. A blonde haired boy raced down an alley, a small child being carried on his back. He held his revolver with his right hand, and carefully kept the girls hands locked over his chest with his left hand._

_He made a sharp left down another alley. A man stepped out, facing the other way. Looking left, he began to raise the AK-47 he was holding. Naruto raised his revolver and fired a shot before the man could hardly turn. The bullet impacted the man in the head, sending him flying two feet before brutally hitting the ground._

_"Noble-1, this is Saber Actual. You have less than a mike to get to the Helo. Then we're gone. Over." The voice sounded over in his earpiece._

_"This is Noble Actual. CAT Alpha. I'll be there as soon as I can. Over." The boy replied in his headset._

_(CAT ALPHA: Most critical state of injury. Mostly used by combat medics.)_

_Naruto made another left, then a right. He was panting heavily. The chopper should just be over the next block._

_Two men popped out of a corner, who Naruto quickly eliminated. Just before Naruto could pass the corner, another man stepped out. Naruto gently tossed his gun in the air, it flipping. Catching it by the barrel, the butt of the gun was facing the man. Naruto took a swing with it, and knocked the assailant unconscious._

_A searing pain shot through Naruto's leg. Someone had shot him. Limping as fast as he could, the Blackhawk was in sight. A tall silver haired man in full combats began giving Naruto covering fire from the door of the helicopter. Naruto hobbled in, just as the chopper began lifting off the ground._

Flashback end.

Naruto was brought back to reality fast enough. He set Sakura in the passenger seat of his grey Camaro, and buckled her in. Sliding across the hood, he entered the drivers door and took off towards his apartment.

Naruto's apartment

Sakura gently stirred. She felt something holding her down. She groggily opened her eyes and saw that she was tucked into a bed. Last thing she remembered was crying in Naruto's arms, then...blank. So much crying and in-arming lately.

She gently swung her feet off the bed, her feet contacting the cold wood floor. Walking towards the door, she walked down a small hallway that connected into a large living room and kitchen. A tall blond haired boy was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

Feeling a presence, he looked to see the pink haired beauty standing in the middle of the clearing. Naruto stood up, and gave her a grin.

"You better now?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks...where am I?" Sakura asked, taking in the nice apartment. The living room had a what she could only guess as a 55" LED TV, and a large leather couch. A racing wheel and expensive looking computer were next to the stand, as well as an Xbox 360. A PS3 sat inside the cabinet stand. A racing wheel, shifter and pedals were off to the side of the coffee table.

"Well, you feel asleep, so I carried you to my car, and brought you to my apartment. Tucked you into bed, and now we're here."

"Now, I want you to answer some questions for me." Sakura said, her tone changing to that of a serious one.

"Why were you and Kakashi going on about SOCOM, the mob, and Chinese?" She asked. Naruto immediately went wide-eyed, and froze on the spot. Taking a deep breath, he motioned her over to the couch.

She sat next to him, as he pulled a computer mouse from the under-shelf of the coffee table. Setting on the table, he navigated his computer. Opening up pictures, Sakura saw a group of 10-15 men kneeling for a photo. They were in full combat gear, minus any headgear, and all head assault weapons. Kakashi and Naruto were spotted, as well as a red headed boy who looked to be around Naruto's age.

"When I was 9, I was abducted by the government. Since my father was one of the best operators in the SEALs, they assumed I must have his traits. They broke into the house one night, shot my parents in front of me, and took me."

"For 3 years, I went training harsher than any Special Forces unit has ever faced. I was turned into a weapon. All because of some idiot in the government."

"I was assigned to the Special Classified Operations Detachment at 12. I worked on covert operations, and assassinations. A year later, I was placed on DEVGRU, or SEAL Team 6. I met Kakashi and Gaara there. Gaara was another boy like me, but I'll save his story for later."

"My recent assignment was to stop the Uchiha Mob from trading prototype weapons with the Chinese. After talking to Kakashi, we learned of a worm in the command structure. We called all of our SOCOM friends. The Ranger's airfield was attack by the Chinese SOCOM today. They had three wounded, but escaped." Naruto concluded. Sakura stood speechless.

"And why should I believe you?" She carefully asked. Naruto stood up and took her hand, gently leading her to the bedroom. He stood at the end of the bed, and pulled up, and pushed it to the wall. The underside of the bed was littered with weapons of all sorts.

"That's why." Naruto chuckled, setting the bed into its normal position.

Sakura began to lightly cry, as she tackled Naruto into the bed, hugging him.

"Now...it's your turn to let it all out..." Sakura grinned to him.

Flashback.

_The little girl that Naruto rescued looked up at him. The two were alone in a medical tent._

_"You know, mister, maybe you need someone to let it all out to. After hearing your story...I can only imagine." The girl said. Naruto paused and smiled at her._

_"I know. Thank you. Now. I want you to stay safe. These guys here will take really good care of you, ok?" Naruto said, while pulling something out of his pocket. He handed the girl a small colorful stone bracelet._

_"It's something another person gave to me. I had rescued them too, but they passed away. I think you should have it. A symbol of good health." Naruto said, putting the bracelet on the girl._

Flashback end.

Naruto's eyes began to tear, as he remembered all that he had been through...his life...the people he's killed...

His parents.

He hugged Sakura back, while she held his head to her heart. She knew the pain of loss too. But this time, she wouldn't let another person go what she went through. He slowly, and silently let the tears fall down his face.

After another five minutes, the duo made their way back to the living room. Sakura was watching Naruto play iRacing. He was really good at it, especially in the Indycar.

The race ended ten minutes later, and Naruto and Sakura began watching the first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood together.

"How'd you know I like anime?" Sakura asked. Naruto chuckled. "I didn't."

It was already 10:30 PM, and they were on episode 22.

The episode ended, and Naruto set the now third empty popcorn bowl down on the coffee table.

"Man, it's late..." Naruto yawned to himself. Sakura caught the contagion, and yawned as well.

"Oh, I can walk home, it's ok..." Sakura quietly said. Naruto gave her an estranged look, like she was a crazy person.

"Hmm. You expect me to let you walk home god knows how long, in the dark? Absolutely not. Though, I wasn't expecting on going to school tomorrow." Naruto said.

"Why's that?" Sakura asked. It had only been the first day. Skipping already?

"Well, because I don't really want to. That, and I'm heading to the Air Base tomorrow. Some Russian friends are going to be arriving sometime tomorrow night. I guess I could go to school tomorrow and kill time.

"Ok, that sounds pretty cool to me. So I guess I'll meet up with you tomorrow then?" Sakura said, standing up.

"Nope. You're staying here tonight. You can sleep in the bed. I'll take the couch." Sakura shook her head.

"We only just met. Letting me stay here, and telling me all this stuff, is more than enough. I'll take the couch." Sakura defiantly said. She gave a cute little pout, arms crossed and all.

Naruto walked towards Sakura, then quickly swept her off her feet, carrying her to the bedroom. She let a squeak, and yelled in protest at Naruto. She pounded on his chest, but he gave a smile and an eye roll. Sakura huffed in defeat.

Naruto set her down on the bed. "You sleep on the bed. I've slept in much worse places. I can handle a couch." Naruto said.

"Like what?" Sakura asked, daring Naruto.

"I feel asleep in the exhaust engine of a jet. Gaara decided to play a prank on me, and turned the engines on. I got sent flying 200 feet. I feel asleep under a rock before. And one time, on a mountain, sharing the space with a bobcat." Naruto retorted, smirking in victory.

"This isn't over, Uzumaki." Sakura pouted. They both laughed. Naruto opened the door and gave a glance towards Sakura.

"Sleep tight, Sakura-Chan." Naruto said, smiling to himself.

"Night, Naruto..." Sakura said, heavily yawning. The bed had sucked her right into a drowsy state.

Naruto was just about to shut the door until he heard a faint word.

"...Kun..."

Naruto stood in absolute shock. Did she like him that much? Did someone care for him? He shut the door, and walked towards the living room. He plopped down on the couch. He pulled out his headset; a pair of white Astro A40's. He opened up a few programs on his computer. The racing wheel began to turn by itself; a sign it was calibrating itself.

"Alright guys, take it slow. It's a two hour race." A voice said through the headset.

"Yeah. No need to set the Indycar wreck record on iRacing tonight." Naruto replied, adjusting his hands on the wheel.

"It just got broke two minutes ago. 45 man wreck on Daytona. I don't even think we'd be able to do that if we tried, and we're top tier drivers..." Another voice said.

"Ain't that the truth, Konohamaru. Fucking noobs. Noobs everywhere." The same voice from earlier said.

"I know, Udon. I just watched the replay. How does one get their car upside-down on another car, and get that stuck on the fence?" Konahomaru replied.

"There is a mechanism. It applies pressure to the brake discs. It slows the car. It's to be used to avoid wrecking. It's name is the brake. And half of iRacers don't understand that it's not the long pedal that says GAS." Udon said. Everyone started laughing.

Naruto heard a soft pitter patter on the back of the couch. He turned his head. A small red fox was giving him a curious look. It licked his cheek, before sitting in his lap, letting a mewl of content out.

"Hey there, Kurama." Naruto cooed, scratching the fox's ear. It let out a sigh, and snuggled into Naruto's lap even more. The fox let out a happy mewl. Naruto smiled at the little creature.

"So, Naruto. I saw you took a liking to that Sakura girl today." A new voice said. Many groans could be heard, Naruto's included.

"Oh be quiet Kiba." Naruto muttered. Kiba laughed.

"Does someone have a crush?" Kiba teased. Naruto let the singe of pink rise to his cheeks. Wasn't like anybody could see it. Naruto remained silent and just focused on the race.


	2. Fallen Angel

Sakura had always tried to get to school early, less people to block her path and target her for their sick abuse. This morning's thoughts had her trembling like a dying leaf in the harsh breeze, she wasn't sure what reaction her classmates would have be with her spending so much time with the new guy.

Half the girls had been shamelessly fawning over him, with him also being so close to her his first day, she was sure the rumors would fly. Not that she had minded his closeness, it had been so long since someone treated her like a human, let alone a friend.

Walking fast and keeping her head down to avoid being noticed, she was making her way to her locker. Bumping into someone who felt twice her size and solid, she knew her plan had failed as one of her books slapped the mute toned floor.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, retrieving the book, an urgency to be in safety of her classroom overwhelming her senses.

"No worries," his gentle voice painted a perfect picture of his smile in her mind.

Looking up to be graced by the same smile she imagined sent her heart to her throat. Instead of forcing words she just smiled.

"Come on, we'll be late for class," Naruto grinned as he put his hands behind his head waiting for her to secure the textbook that he dislodged by accident.

As they walked down the crowded hallway she could hear the whispers thick with judgement.

The evil eyes of the girls from his Geometry class burned into her fragile skin, making it itch. Even with the handsome blond beside her, old fears found cracks in her heart to spread their vile roots. A glance to his face reassured her, his brilliantly blue eyes stared straight ahead, his posture radiated confidence as he carried himself well.

Her nerves settled down as the classes wore on, but then he had Geometry while she had Physics. His easy grin did little to sooth the ache in her heart as he bid her farewell.

"I'll see you in Biology, wish me luck, hopefully I don't drown in drool," he shivered at his joke.

"You poor thing," she stated with fake sympathy.

Dashing up the stairs hoping to make it to class without any of her new friend's fan girls attacking her. Feeling luck had been on her side, she sat down at her usual spot in the back to sit alone.

She could hear the murmurs of the class, they're pondering of how she'd sunk her claws into the flawless gorgeous new hunk of meat that had graced their school's halls. Losing count of all their theories she tried to tune them out.

By the time Physics was over, she was ready to be back in the calming presence of her new source of stability. Her hurried steps were interrupted by a strong hand ripping her from her path and pulling her to a darkened dead end hallway to be slammed up against against the hard lockers.

"Sakura, you must be some kind of freak in bed to have him so pussy whipped already," teased one of the most popular boys in their class.

His auburn hair stood slightly spiked while his brown eyes intruded into her green. They'd been in school together a long time, he'd been there when Sasuke had spectacularly dumped her in front of everyone, declaring her greatest secret. He also liked to remind her of it whenever he had the chance. He enjoyed his status of popularity because it allowed him to be a major jerk and have everyone still adore him. Figuring he felt threatened by the new guy but not brave enough to bother him, he settled for a much easier target that he was very familiar with abusing.

"Let me go," she barely whispered turning away from him, what little confidence she had washing away as she noticed his best friend flanking him and two girls snickering from the other side.

"He must be into some twisted shit or he just enjoys slumming it with dirty little whores," his hot breath pierced the shell of her ear, the hand not tightly gripping her arm, clasped her hip pulling her so she was straddling his jutted out leg, "why don't you show me what that sick fuck is into, then we'll tell all the girls in school what a depraved pervert he really is," his hand moved from her arm to her grab a handful of hair at the back of her head pulling roughly, tears leaked from her closed eyes as she tried to will everything away, "does he make you put a bag over your face? Does he watch you do things to yourself?" his taunts and the snickering of his followers filled her ears.

"Stop," she pleaded unable to stand the way his body was invading her space, the friction of his leg between her thighs. Why did this always have to happen? Death was a better option than this.

"What's wrong? your boyfriend isn't here to protect you this time," chuckled her violator.

The pink haired beauty hadn't even been a minute late for class when Naruto went looking for her. Sakura had beaten him to the room his first day, there was no way she would be late. When he found her, anger flooded his veins in a way he'd never known before. The way her plea fell on deaf ears by the boy as he even dared to torment her further had Naruto seeing red.

His hand took hold of her violator's throat and slammed him into the plaster wall across from the lockers, cracks trailed jaggedly from the massive dent the boys body left on impact. It took everything he had in him not to demolish the teen that crumbled to the floor at his feet.

The other boy who was a willing bystander to the torture of the defenseless girl got a punch to his bulbous nose. He didn't like to hit girls but the glare he sent their way had them shrieking and taking cover in a classroom.

"I don't have to be her boyfriend to protect her from fucking scum like you." Snarled the boy, clinging to sanity as the rage threatened to consume him as his leg crunched into the auburn haired boy's ribs.

In his blind anger he didn't see the girl flee from the situation. Sakura couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, she didn't even know who saved her, all she knew was she was suddenly free of the unwanted touch. Embracing that freedom she ran, never looking back. Once she reached her safe place, only then did she stop to breath. It was the quiet court yard of one of the oldest buildings the school had. A large oak tree spread its limbs to the sky to soak up every ounce of sun light. A silent fountain stood in the middle of a forgotten pond. It was her quiet place, her sanctuary.

Up in her roost, where the leaves hummed a gentle tune, she could look down on the peaceful area. This was one place the bullies never found her. From her backpack she pulled a hidden folded paper, in it a glint of silver flashed as the sun peaked through the canopy for a breath.

She shouldn't carry something like this with her, the temptations lured the blade to her skin. Who was she to drag someone as wonderful as him into the messed up hell she called her life? She had to right to burden him with her unimaginable amount of problems. She wasn't worth his time. The blade slipped through her skin with practiced ease as relief washed though her, her whole body relaxing.

She had gave a small smile, her petite shoulders relaxing, while she continued to drag the temptation across her wrist. It continued and continued. Was it three times? Six? Did it matter? Her life didn't matter. The broken girl raised her relief to her neck, and gently drew blood. She dragged it gently across the left side of her neck, the blood gently seeping onto her shoulder. She dropped the blade and thoughtlessly cried.

Lucky for the boy who assaulted Sakura, Kakashi had happened upon the scene. It was the only reason he still lived because Naruto was ready to deliver him to death's doorsteps.

Trusting the teacher to handle things, Naruto went in search of the girl he had almost killed someone for. and of all the reasons he'd taken a life, he was sure she was the most worth it.

It wasn't easy to track her down, classes had long been over and if he hadn't been as well trained as he was, he may have never found her. Tucked away in a forgotten area on the school grounds, he found a secluded place seemingly undisturbed by all.

He almost left not seeing her, but as a few branches danced to the tune of the playful wind, he caught a glimpse of pink in the greenery. Climbing up in the massive oak tree he found a comfortable spot to stand close to where she lounge against the trunk, lost in thought.

"They said my guardian angel was looking out for me when I survived the accident. I always wondered why my angle saw fit to save me but no one else," she pondered staring down at the lifeless fountain below.

Noticing the red liquid that was fresh on her wrists and arms, he sadly smiled at the damaged girl. He looked up at her tear-stained face, her jade eyes bloodshot, and enveloped in depression. He followed her line of sight, a heavenly being with feathered wings wearing a toga of stone was holding a vase like it was pouring out the contents into the pond.

But something in the system was broken, he could see the tip of one of the wings was chipped and a chunk was missing from the feet. Weather had not been kind to the statue, but still it stood tall.

"I always wondered if I had one," he spoke softly, "she'd probably be as damaged as that one down there with the hell she's followed me through. Sometimes I wonder if Mom and Dad look out for me. A sense that I'm not alone. Or, is it my fate just to be an emotionless weapon?" The veteran softly spoke.

Sakura's eyes finally found some focus and looked at his face, "I think she's beautiful, flaws and all. And you're not emotionless, or a weapon. You are a wonderful, caring, and selfless person..."

He looked back into her jade pools, no longer murky like the abandoned pond, "Thank you, Sakura-Chan. I know you really mean it. I think you're a wonderful and caring person too."

He took a short breath, and smiled at her. "You see these scars, Sakura-Chan? They're baby scars. They'll heal. You just need love and time. Just like a boy needs his mother's love." Naruto finished. Sakura inwardly smiled at the song reference. And he was perfectly right.

"Let's get you home. I think we've had enough of hell for one day." He breathed gently taking her into his arms and down the tree.

An empty parking lot met them as he made his way to his car. She didn't protest once as he placed her in the car and buckling her up. Silence filled the gaps between them but it wasn't strange or uncomfortable for him. Guilt was toying with her mind again as she thought of how sweet he was and just how much he deserved better. Her skin itched for the silver to sink into it again and relieve the emotions threatening to break her.

"Can you take me home?" she murmured her question.

"Sure, just let me make one stop," he confirmed as he changed direction.

She stayed in the car as they stopped at a convenience store. He was quick as he threw his purchase in the back and whisked them to her place. He helped her inside and set her on the couch. Then the plastic store bag appeared on her coffee table and he set to work cleaning and bandaging her wrists.

"You don't have to do this," she mumbled, afraid to push him away, but scared to let him stay.

"I know, I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be," he assured her as the gauze went around her wrist again. He lightly bandaged her neck, allowing plenty of breathing space.

After she was all bandaged up he pulled her against him on the couch and turned the TV on. Neither was paying attention to it, it was on mostly for noise as they were both lost in thought about the other. He stayed with her until she fell asleep and tucked her into bed. He longed to stay and hold her all night, to keep the demons at bay and make her feel cherished. But as he swept a stray stand of rose locks he knew he had better leave, he had work to finish up at home.

The next morning started out normal enough, as he was walking into school he saw the girl who monopolized his thoughts the night before, rendering work impossible, dashing down the hallway like the devil was on her heals. That's when he noticed the wolves herding her, the alpha male none other than the piece of shit Sasuke. A crowd was gathering as he picked up his pace. In the court yard, the place they held their first conversation, she was surrounded by the Uchiha and 12 of his closest thugs. Ranging from top athletes to popular pretty boys with a mean streak.

"What do you want from me?" the enchanting creature in the middle of the ring cried out. She was like a fallen fairy and these punks wanted to rip the wings from her soul. She could soar to the heavens if the demons would leave her alone.

"Things were fine till you let that prick fight all your battles," grinned the sadistic alpha male, a cruel glint in his dark eyes.

"She didn't ask me to," Naruto countered as he shoved passed the raven haired boy to stand in the middle of the make-shift ring of bullies.

"You don't have to be here," she whispered as she scratch at the bandages around her damaged wrist.

He grabbed her forearm and pulled her close, "you never seem to hear my words. I'm right where I want to be. Maybe after this, you'll believe me."

"Naruto," she gulped, tears ran unbidden down her pale cheeks.

"Alright fuckers, if you wanted a fight you should have just asked me for one, 13 verses one girl is pathetic," Naruto growled out through his clenched jaw eying the gathered mob with disdain. He'd fought 15 Armed Al-Queda before. Not to say he got out intact, but he still survived. This was nothing.

Two of the pretty boys decided to open up first. The one on the right went to go throw a punch, it's aim true for Naruto's eye. The veteran of war easily caught it, bringing his right hand across to hit the boy in the windpipe, incapacitating him.

Spinning on his heel, the SOCOM operative sent a reverse high-kick to the other teenager's face. He failed to notice the pink haired girl seemingly vanish out of his sight.

Three more boys charged in, hoping to win through outnumbering him. All to used to this tactic, Naruto rushed them, catching everyone, including the second ring of students watching by surprise.

With a quick combo of punches, the football player nearly fell to the ground, it impeding to knock him unconscious. Not done with his work yet, Naruto threw the boy in front of him, letting the meat-shield take the kick in the gut for him. Spinning in another 180, Naruto elbowed the previous attacker in the chin, and throwing the meat-shield on him taking both athletes down.

The hardened veteran stood at the ready, awaiting the next attack. A small whimper blew to his ears. His head snapped to see Sasuke holding a rather large six inch folding knife to Sakura's back.

Naruto saw her mortified and scared expression. Her tears were uncontrollably sobbing, hitting the blood stained concrete with an audible thud. Chats and cheers began to erupt throughout the crowd.

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" The crowd shouted. Naruto began reaching for his emergency beacon linked to the Konoha Air Base. This was too much for high schoolers. It was Sakura's next action that let the small phone fall from Naruto's hand.

"You want me to die so much! Fine!" Sakura wavily screamed, while she walked into the large knife, it impaling her with a distinct tearing sound. The blade showed through slightly on the other side, while Sakura just smiled.

"Thank you, Naruto..." She whispered, before walking forward, tearing the reversely serrated blade out of her. She fell forward, and hit the ground, her light frame hardly making any noise. Moments later Naruto was already on the phone, and Kakashi was moping up the rest of the groupies.

Naruto skidded over to Sakura, and had taken his shirt off, trying to apply as much pressure as possible to the wound. She was unconscious, her blood staining the concrete even more. A hummer rolled up, and quite the blonde figure walked out, in full combat gear. A small medic patch was sewed to her shoulder.

She knelt down to the unconscious girl, and checked her over. She lifted the shirt off her side, and grimaced at the sight. Grabbing a small syringe from her vest, she slammed the syringe into the girls leg.

"She'll be fine. I'll bring her to the clinic on base and wrap her up. The morphine should numb the pain for now. Let's go." The blonde woman sternly ordered. Naruto nodded and picked Sakura up, careful not to agitate her wound.

Setting her in the back seat, Naruto rested her head in his lap. He unconsciously stroked her hair. He was always trained for these situations. Where his allies got hurt, or even died. So why did this bother him so much?

**A little short update I had laying around for a month or so. Huge thanks to Tradgicrose for this chapter. I have a few more exams then I'm home free to work on fanfiction when I'm not working 36-40+ hours a week. Cheers, ladies and gents.**


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